Democracy in Action P2016 - South Carolina

SOUTH CAROLINA

9 Electoral Votes

Population
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau, South Carolina State Election Commission)

Total Resident Population, July 1, 2016 est.	4,961,119
Total Registration, Nov. 2016	3,129,467

South Carolina has: 46 counties.
Largest counties: Greenville, Richland, Charleston, Spartanburg, Horry, Lexington.

Government
Governor: Nikki Haley (R) elected in 2010, re-elected in 2014.
State Legislature: South Carolina General Assembly House: 124 seats Senate: 46 seats
Local: Counties and Municipalities NACO
U.S. House: 6R, 1D - 1. M.Sanford (R) | 2. J.Wilson (R) | 3. J.Duncan (R) | 4. T.Gowdy (R) | 5. M.Mulvaney (R) | 6. J.Clyburn (D).| 7. T.Rice (R).
U.S. Senate: Lindsey Graham (R) re-elected in 2014, Tim Scott (R) re-elected in 2016.

2016
U.S. Senate: Sen. Tim Scott (R) garnered 60.57% of the vote, defeating Pastor Thomas Dixon (D/G), attorney Mike Scarborough (Am.) and veterinarian Bill Bledsoe (C/L).
U.S. House: All seven Members were re-elected by comfortable margins.
State Legislature: All 124 House seats and all 46 Senate seats were up. Republicans strengthened their control in the House, going from 77R, 46D and 1v to 80R, 44D, while the balance in the Senate remained at 28R, 18D.
Ballot Measures: no statewide measures.
Post-Election: President-elect Trump selected a couple of South Carolina officials for his Cabinet. Trump's announcement on Nov. 23 of Gov. Haley as his choice for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations was one of his first major personnel moves. The U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination on Jan. 24, 2017; Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster (R) was sworn in as Governor the same day. On Dec. 16 Trump announced U.S. Rep. Mick Mulvaney as his choice for OMB director. Mulvaney was confirmed by the full Senate on Feb. 16, 2018 in a 51 to 49 vote.

State of South Carolina
State Election Commission

Constitution Party of SC
SC Democratic Party
SC Green Party
SC Libertarian Party
SC Republican Party

The State (Columbia), p
Post and Courier (C'ston), p
Newspapers
TV, Radio

Politics1-SC
Ballotpedia-SC

The Palmetto State

General Election -- Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Voting Eligible Population*: 3,706,769.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 56.7%.

Voter Registration Deadline: Oct. 8, 2016.

Absentee Voting: >

Official Results >
Clinton/Kaine (Dem.)	855,373	(40.67)
Castle/Bradley (Const.)	5,765	(0.27)
McMullin/Johnson (Ind.)	21,016	(1.00)
Stein/Baraka (Grn.)	13,034	(0.62)
Trump/Pence (Rep.)	1,155,389	(54.94)
Skewes/Lacy (Amr.)	3,246	(0.15)
Johnson/Weld (Lib.)	49,024	(2.34)
Total........2,103,027

Ballots Cast:2,123,584.

Overview: Republicans carried South Carolina as they have in every election since Jimmy Carter won the state in 1976 A couple of polls in August did show the two major party candidates tied here, and South Carolina Democrats made an effort, but the Trump-Pence ticket garnered a plurality of 300,016 votes (14.27 percentage points), carrying 31 counties to 15 for the Democrats. All in all the things were quiet after the intensity of the primaries nine-plus months earlier. Volunteers made their way to the neighboring battleground state of North Carolina to help out there. The only visit noted was Green nominee Jill Stein's trip on Oct. 4; she held rallies in Spartanburg and Columbia. The Post and Courier, South Carolina's most circulated newspaper, was one of about nine major newspapers to endorse the Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson.
Clinton | Trump
BALLOT [PDF]

[State Primary: June 14, 2016]

Republican Presidential Primary -- Saturday, February 20, 2016
Democratic Presidential Primary -- Saturday, February 27, 2016

Main South Carolina Primary Page

Democrats
59 Delegates: 35 District, 11 At-Large, 7 PLEO, 6 Unpledged.

details

Republicans
50 Delegates: 3 RNC; 26 At-Large; 21 by CD (3 x 7).

details

General Election Winners in South Carolina, 1992-2012

1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012
Bush 48.02%	Dole 49.79%	Bush 56.84%	Bush 57.98%	McCain 53.87%	Romney 54.56%

and the details...

General Election -- Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Voting Eligible Population*: 3,311,044.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 58.0%.

Official Results >
+Romney/Ryan (Rep.)	1,071,645	(54.56)
Johnson/Gray (Lib.)	16,321	(0.83)
Obama/Biden (Dem.)	865,941	(44.09)
Goode/Clymer (Const.)	4,765	(0.24)
Stein/Honkala (Grn.)	5,446	(0.28)
Total........1,964,118

Ballots Cast: 1,981,516.

2012 Overview
Romney-Ryan won South Carolina with a plurality of 206,704 votes (10.47 percentage points), carrying 25 counties to 21 for Obama-Biden. South Carolina borders on battleground North Carolina and is relatively close to Florida. There were also a few visits. Joe Biden attended a fundraiser in the Charleston area on May 8 (he also made a brief, low-key visit on Oct. 16 to attend a vigil for Peatsy Hollings in Charleston). Ann Romney did a fundraiser in Spartanburg on June 11, Mitt Romney did a press avail. and a fundraiser in Greenville on Aug. 16, and Paul Ryan did a fundraiser in Greenville on Oct. 26. Gary Johnson spoke at Winthrop University in Rock Hill on Sept. 5 and Jim Gray did several events in the Charleston area on Oct. 20.
Obama | (Romney)
BALLOT [PDF]

General Election -- Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Voting Eligible Population*: 3,279,329.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 58.6%.

Official Results >
McKinney/Clemente (Grn.)	4,461	(0.23)
+McCain/Palin (Rep.)	1,034,896	(53.87)
Barr/Root (Lib.)	7,283	(0.38)
Nader/Gonzalez (Pet.)	5,053	(0.26)
Obama/Biden (Dem.)	862,449	(44.90)
Baldwin/Castle (Const.)	6,827	(0.36)
Total........1,920,969

Total voting: 1,941,480

2008 Overview
McCain-Palin won South Carolina with a plurality of 172,447 votes (8.97 percentage points); the Republican ticket carried 26 counties to 20 for Obama-Biden.
Obama/Allies | McCain/Allies | Nader

General Election -- Tuesday, November 2, 2004

Voting Eligible Population*: 3,055,098.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 53.0%.

Official Results >
Peroutka/Baldwin (Const.)	5,317	(0.32)
Brown/Hebert (Un.Cit.)	2,124	(0.13)
Nader/Camejo (Indep.Pty)	5,520	(0.34)
Cobb/LaMarche (Grn.)	1,488	(0.09)
+Bush/Cheney (Rep.)	937,974	(57.98)
Badnarik/Campagna (Lib.)	3,608	(0.22)
Kerry/Edwards (Dem.)	661,699	(40.90)
Total........1,617,730

Total Voting: 1,631,148

2004 Overview
Bush won with a plurality of 276,275 votes (17.08 percentage points). Bush won 31 counties to 15 for Kerry.

General Election -- Tuesday, November 7, 2000

Voting Eligible Population*: 2,944,326.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 47.0%.

Official Results >
Gore/Lieberman (Dem.)	565,561	(40.90)
Phillips/Frazier (Const.)	1,682	(0.12)
Nader/LaDuke (Un.Cit.)	20,200	(1.46)
Buchanan/Foster (Ref.)	3,519	(0.25)
Hagelin/Goldhaber (NLP)	942	(0.07)
+Bush/Cheney (Rep.)	785,937	(56.84)
Browne/Olivier (Lib.)	4,876	(0.35)
Total........1,382,717

2000 Overview
South Carolina, the scene of such great activity during the Republican presidential primary in February, saw a very quite campaign on the presidential level in the fall. None of the principals visited. Bush carried the Palmetto State with a comfortable plurality of 220,307 votes (15.94 percentage points). Bush won 31 counties to 15 for Gore. Heath Thompson ran Republicans' Victory 2000 effort; Remle Beard was Gore-Lieberman state director. One issue on the ballot that did generate considerable debate was Amendment 1 to lift a ban on lotteries; it passed.

1992 and 1996 General Elections

Archive Pages: 2012 | 2008 | 2004 | 2000

1992

Bush (Rep.)............577,507	(48.02)
Clinton (Dem.)........497,514	(39.88)
Perot (Petition).......138,872	(11.55)
Others (3)..................6,634	(0.55)
Total........1,202,527

1996

Dole (Rep.).............573,458	(49.79)
Clinton (Dem.)........506,283	(43.96)
Perot (Ref./Pat.).......64,386	(5.59)
Others (3)..................7,562	(0.66)
Total........1,151,689